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1. Sandra Valeria Meza
CJN 152 - Visual Aesthetics
Kevin Carragee
Suffolk University
ANALYSIS OF A SCENE:
MAD MAX: FURY ROAD

2. Introduction
This paper visually analyzes a scene of the film Mad Max: Fury Road. The purpose of
this paper is to apply five film concepts to a chosen scene from Mad Max: Fury Road. George
Miller directed Mad Max: Fury Road, a film released on 2015. The film follows Max Rockatan-
sky , played by Tom Hardy, and Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron. They try to run
away from the Citadel that is governed by the dictator Immortan Joe, played by Hugh Keays-
Byrne. The movie takes place in a post-apocalyptical world, without water.
The scene analyzed begins after Immortan Joe finds out that Imperator Furiosa has stolen
his breeders. The breeders are beautiful women who would eventually give birth to Immortan
Joe’s heirs. Immortan Joe, as a cult leader, is followed by many minions who are called the War
Boys. The War Boys willingly give their lives on the battlefield for Immortan Joe. The scene
takes place on what is called the Fury Road, as Immortan Joe and the War Boys drive through it.
The scene highlights one of the War Boys, Nux, played by Nicholas Hoult; He plays an impor-
tant part in the scene. Nux was physically ill, before driving his car, and for that matter Max was
captured at the beginning of the movie. During the scene Nux transported Max as his blood bag,
eventually Max would save his life.
Defining Central Concepts
The concepts that are applied to the scene are explained in Bordwell Thompson’s book,
Film Art: An Introduction. The first concept that will discussed is an establishing shot. Bordwell
& Thompson (2012) explain how an establishing shot is commonly used to indicate the “spatial
relations among the important figures, objects, and settings in a scene” (p. 501). Basically, an
establishing shot tends to be a very wide shot, or just a wide shot. It defines the location where

3. the scene takes place, as well how it is related to the characters (Bordwell & Thompson, 2012). It
is mostly used as a stylistic element, but sometimes it can contribute to narrative elements. The
establishing shot as a narrative element explains where most of the plot would develop. Today,
CGI, computer generated images, maybe used as an establishing shot.
The second concept is an eyeline match. According to Bordwell and Thompson (2012),
an eyeline match presents a character looking off-screen, as the audience hopes to see what the
character is looking at. The director, then, makes a cut so the audience can see what the character
looks at, which may include an object, another character, or a view. This can be achieved because
the eyeline match is a camera shot, as well as an editing technique that follows the axis of action,
included continuity editing process (Bordwell & Thompson, 2012).
The third concept explained is costume and makeup. There are many reasons for the use
of costume and makeup. These are significant elements of mise-en-scene, which are “all of the
elements placed in front of the camera to be photograph” (Bordwell & Thompson, 2012, p. 503).
Costume and make-up can be used, for example, to make the actor look good on camera, or to
make characters appear historically accurate (Bordwell & Thompson, 2012). It also contributes
to narrative elements as it accomplishes character development, or it plays a specific role in a
film. Costume and make up also can help to create a specific character from prosthetics or wigs,
or from entirely computer generated characters (Bordwell & Thompson, 2012).
The fourth concept described is deep space composition. Bordwell and Thompson (2012)
explain how deep space composition highlights the foreground, middle ground, and background
objects. Not all objects in a deep space compositing need be in focus. In contract, in deep focus
cinematography all objects are in sharp focus. A film utilizes deep space composition when sig-

4. nificant elements of an image are positioned both near to and distant from the camera (Bordwell
& Thompson, 2012). Creating depth is associated with deep space composition, as the arrange-
ment of objects in front of the camera produces depth. Many techniques can be used in the cre-
ation of depth. For example, a dolly shot or overlapping objects reinforce perspective. The ab-
sence of depth techniques tends to produce a flat space.
The fifth cinematographic concept described is a medium shot. According to Bordwell
and Thompson (2012) a medium shot frames the subject from the waist up who would usually
fill the entire screen, and an object framed in a medium shot tends to be in a moderate size. The
lens used for a medium shot usually has no distortion at all. This camera shot tends to be the
most used in films (Bordwell & Thompson, 2012). The main characteristic of the medium shot is
people and scenery are seen is a way which you would normally see them when you talk to them.
A medium shot frames a small group acting, but it also frames a single actor. The medium shot
also shows the background, usually in shallow focus. It shows in detail facial expressions as well
as body language (Bordwell & Thompson, 2012).
Analysis
In the film, Mad Max: Fury Road an establishing shot is used to emphasize the spatial
relationships, showing the audience that the Fury Road is located in the desert. The film follows
Max to the Citadel, where he was captured, and then the upcoming events are developed. The
director focuses on showing the Fury Road toward Imperator Furiosa. The cut can be interpreted
as a jump cut because Miller decides to avoid the path from the Citadel to the Fury Road. The
establishing shot from this scene shows multiple cars as well as trucks driven by the War Boys.
By showing multiple motor vehicles, the audience can infer there is a road. Previously, the Fury

5. Road is only mentioned, therefore, the function of this shot is to tell the audience what the Fury
Road looks like. The establishing shot also implies why they named it Fury Road. The Fury
Road is represented by the types of vehicles and weapons shown. The diegetic music, which
means that it is present in the fictional world as well, is used to portray Immortan Joe as a villain.
Hard Rock is a strong music genre usually used to represent power. The audience can understand
Immortan Joe’s power, by adding Hard Rock to the scene. His power is also demonstrated by
props and special effects, and the support of his minions.
The eyeline match is used in this scene when a War Boy called Nux and his lancer were
seeking attention from Immortan Joe. Nux was fervently calling Immortan Joe, while looking
toward his car, which is offscreen space because the car was not shown in the shot. The follow-
ing shot shows the audience Immortan Joe looking back at Nux’s car, offscreen space. The eye
match is extremely important for Nux because his motivation increases while he is physically ill.
The eyeline match function shows Nux’s happiness. After this important event, Nux opens the
shut off valve of the intravenous tube gaining more strength and motivation for fighting the war,
and to regain the breeders. The love and fidelity of the War Boys are depicted throughout the first
couple scenes. The director, George Miller, uses the eyeline match is to emphasize this devotion,
as well as camera angles. Immortan Joe’s shot can be considered as low camera angle, implying
power. Miller uses Nux’s shot a high camera angle, which denotes inferiority. These multiple
shots help us to understand the admiration that War Boys, especially Nux, have toward Immortan
Joe.
Mad Max: Fury Road won many Academy Awards, one which was for costume and
makeup. Costume and makeup in the film gives the audience a sense of how people would look

6. in a post-apocalyptic world, which may be linked to the concept of mise-en-scene. In the film, all
of the War Boys wear black worn out pants, implying a shortage of clothes. In comparison to the
other people, however, the War Boys are seen in better clothing. The War Boys are painted white
and have shaven heads. Immortan Joe is white as well, showing the audience a direct relationship
with the War Boys. He has hair, so we can infer that he is more important than the War Boys, or
exercises control over them. While Max’s clothing is old and covered in dust as the rest of the
people implying a post-apocalyptic outfit. However, he does not displays white paint, providing
an example of graphic discontinuity when compared to Nux, Immortan Joe, and the War Boys.
Max is considered the film’s protagonist and is an anti-hero. Similarly Nux’s white paint seems
to be less intense in comparison to the other War Boys, which is related to the fact that he later
on redeems himself and fights against Immortan Joe.
Throughout the scene, the director mostly used deep space composition. In the film, this
cinematographic technique represents a stylistic element. Miller uses deep space composition for
many reasons in the scene. Miller employs deep space composition as he places the War Boys
and multiple cars in the background as well as in the foreground. This placements of actors and
props give the desert a sense of immensity and magnificence. All the War Boys are in sharp fo-
cus when Miller places them in the background. Placing the extras in sharp focus using deep
space frames the War Boys’ facial expression, which shows their excitement. It can be interpre-
ted as their commitment to the war. The commitment is represented as the entire scene is sharp
focus. Deep space composition shows the distance between Fury Road and the current location
of Imperator Furiosa. In the scene’s last shot, a wide shot involving deep space composition was
used. This shot placed Imperator Furiosa’s truck on the left side of the mountain range, and Im-

7. mortan Joe’s army on the right side. This placement of props and actors contribute to this stylis-
tic element.
The medium shots’ function in the scene is to frame specific characters that the audience
must recognize from previous scenes. In contrast, wide shots and establishing shots used in the
scene only show props, extras, and background. The director uses medium shots to discard the
props, extras, and background that are the protagonist during most of the scene. Medium shots
are used as a stylistic element since most of the medium shots do not contribute to plot develop-
ment. However, the characters shown in medium shots are mostly main characters with the ex-
ception of Nux’s lancer, but in the scene he has an important role. Another function, in direct re-
lation to the first one, is to show character development. The medium shots only framed Max,
Nux, the lancer, and Immortan Joe who only is framed before the eyeline match.
Conclusion
It can be argued that most of the shots and filming techniques have one specific narrative
or stylistic function. However, as it is seen in this paper, many of the cinematographic, editing, or
mise-en-scene concepts can serve both narrative and stylistic functions. Each shot, and editing
technique can accomplish a visual function. When making a film the director is the one who gi-
ves each shot, or editing technique a meaning. However, scholars may examine the director’s
technique and level it to a specific cinematographic, editing, or mise-en-scene concept. As a re-
sult, the audience can study and apply cinematographic, editing, and mise-en-scene concepts to a
film.

8. Reference
Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2012). Film art: An introduction (10th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill Higher Education.